Door fastening apparatus



United States Patent [72] Inventor Rudolph E. Lynn Cleveland, Ohio [21] Appl. No. 735,715

[22] Filed June 10, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 22, 1970 [73] Assignee lLK. Porter Company, Inc.

Cleveland, Ohio a corporation of Delaware [54] DOOR FASTENING APPARATUS 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

Primary ExaminerRichard E. Moore Attorney-Fay, Sharpe and Mulholland ABSTRACT: This invention is an improved keeper and latch type fastener for doors. The keeper or catch is attached to a wall adjacent the door opening. The latch or cam is fixed to a rod or tube which extends the height of the door and is attached thereto. Rigidly fixed to the rod is a handle or other means for rotating the rod and latch between locked and unlocked positions. The catch includes a pocket and a ridge. The direction faced by the pocket opening and the direction of the ridge are both transverse to the axis of the rod. The latch includes one fingerlike projection which extends into the pocket and two sloping flanges which cam into position astride the ridge when the door is locked in closed position. The combination of these elements locks the door closed, substantially reduces transverse movement of the door and fastener and greatly reduces vibration, noise and wear.

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ATTORNEYS noon FASTENING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The type of coupling used in this invention usually relates to the doors of large containers or any door subject to distortion or vibration. One of the earliest successful door latch and catch combinations, of the type involved in this invention, included a rotary operating bar attached to and extending the height of a door and two keepers bolted to the door frame, one above the door and the other below the door. On each end of the rotary operating bar is a crank end or offset lug which cooperates with a groove in the adjacent keeper in a lever action to lock the door in place when the operating bar is rotated. The rotation of the bar is initiated by a manually operated handle attached to an intermediate portion of the bar. The undesirable features are that the structure allows both vertical and transverse vibrations which cause undesirable noise and wear. Also, during wet or freezing weather the grooves become clogged with mud and ice.

Other more complex types of apparatus are being used which include biforcated hook-shaped cam members as latches which hook behind T-shaped catch members. These tend to provide stability in two directions which is of benefit and also tends to cut down on the vibrational noise and wear when the structure is in motion. However, the T-shaped catch is structurally weak, the mud-ice problem continues and the vibration problems are only partially solved. Frequently, such fasteners are quite difficult to close.

Conventional structure for this general type of prior art fastener includes a rotary bar, keeper, latch and manually operated handle. The distinctions of some other prior art fasteners from the above are (l) a pocket type of holder formed by the keeper for engaging a projecting arm from a latch and (2) wedging or camming action on one side of the keeper. The defects in these combinations are the structurally weak cam surfaces on the catch and the vibration allowed by the clearance" features intentionally incorporated in the design to allow easy door closing.

As a general rule, the bodies of commercial containers or trailers are not braced adequately, from an engineering standpoint, to prevent distortion and deformation of the door frame where the merchandise carrier traverses uneven roadbeds, the loads are unevenly distributed, or the load shifts during transit.

Constant flexing can cause the door and frame to become misaligned and at contact points of the door and frame the grinding abrasion will weaken the structure. One way to improve this situation is to have doors which fit closely within the frame to reduce the allowable deformation when the doors are closed. The problem in the art is to make the latch and keeper strong enough to hold the doors in place without being prohibitively expensive and to provide apparatus which will help center the door in the frame to facilitate the door closing operation.

It is well recognized in the art that forged elements are stronger than castings. This knowledge indicated that part of the problem might be solved by forging the keeper and latch instead of employing the usual casting procedures. Unfortunately, the prior art designs did not lend themselves to forged parts. As viewed by the inventor, the problem to be solved was to design a mechanically stronger latch-keeper combination which overcame theinadequacies of the prior art listed above and could be forged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus with which this invention is used is largely conventional. It includes two doors disposed in an opening with a sealing gasket between the doors and the door frame. One door has a vertically extending rod attached thereto. In accordance with the principles of the invention, each end of the rod has a forged latch member including a long laterally extending projection on one side and two smaller parallel flanges on the other side. On the outer end of the long projection is an enlarged bead.

Two catches are attached to the frame around the door opening, one above and the other below the door. Each catch includes a pocket and a ridge, both extending transverse to the axis of the rod. When the door is to be locked, the doors are pushed substantially closed; a handle clamped to the rod is used as a lever to rotate the rod; as the rod rotates, the projection on the latch is turned into the pocket of the catch and the projection acts as a fulcrum to push the doors more tightly closed. When the rod is rotated such that the handle is parallel with the outer door surface, the handle may be locked in place, the projection will be wedged into place within the pocket to limit transverse vibrations, and the flanges on the latch will be disposed astride the ridge of the catch to prevent vertical vibrations.

It is an object of this invention to provide door fastener apparatus which will reduce wear and noise due to vibrations.

It is another object of this invention to provide fastening apparatus which will reduce possible fouling by ice and mud.

It is another object of this invention to provide forged door fastener apparatus of superior strength and reduced cost.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus for more easily forcing a door or doors into a tightly fitting door frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a rear elevation of vertically disposed hinged doors;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the latch member;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the latch member;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the catch member with the latch member locked in place;

FIG. 5 is a rear'elevation of the catch member with the latch member locked in place and with the pocket of the catch member partially in section;

FIG. 6 is a top view partially in section of the catch and latch members, broken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top sectional view of the catch and latch members broken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation of the catch member; and

FIG. 9 is front elevation of the catch member showing the shape of the interior of the pocket.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While this invention may be used for locking the doors of railroad cars, containers, boxes, trailers and other large doors subject to vibration, the preferred embodiment will be described as related to the rearwardly opening doors of a trailer of a tractor-trailer combination. The drawings show swinging hinged doors, but some offset sliding doors may use this invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, supporting structure 10 is the rear end of a trailer. Doors 12 and 14 are shown pivotally suspended in the door opening by laterally spaced hinges 16. A rod 18 is attached to the right-hand side door 14 by brackets 19, 20 and 21. Whether rod 18 is a solid bar or a hollow tube is immaterial to this invention and the word rod intends to incorporate either alternative. The brackets suspend the rod with its axis in vertical position but are adapted to allow the rod to rotate without undue frictional obstruction. The means for rotating the rod may be of any design, for example, a power driven linkage or gear train or as shown in this case a manually operated handle 26. Handle 26 is attached to rod 18 by a conventional clamp 22. Clamp 22 is attached to the handle by a pin or bolt 24 which allows the handle to swing freely in a vertical plane.

In some conventional structures double doors, as illustrated in FIG. 1, have their abutting vertical sides cut on an angle. For example, the outwardly facing surface of door 14 is wider than its inwardly facing surface and for door 12, the outwardly facing surface is narrower than its inwardly facing surface. In such a case door 12 is closed first, then door 14 is closed. As can be visualized, the wider outer width of door 14 will push against the angled abutting surface of door 12 and push it 8 closed. Other devices usedto accomplish the same purpose inuse of onlyv one. vertical rod 18 with itsappended elements to lock bothzdoors closed. Many conventional door frames include gaskets for sealing aroundthe door; this has been intentionally omitted from the drawing for convenience.

A pair of keeper or catch members36 are mounted by bolts or other suitable means upon' the supporting structure 10, one 1 7 above the door opening and one below the door opening. FIG. 1 shows a latch 34 attached to each end of rod!!! engagingthe catches 36 in locked position.

When doors l2 and 14 are closed, it is desirable. that the a handle 26 be locked in place to prevent the doors'from-opem ing accidentally. This is well established in the art andany convenient locking means for the handle is the concept of this invention. FIG. 1 shows such a conventional lockconsisting of a stop 32 rigidly bolted to door14 and a locking bracket assembly 28 attached to door 14 above the stop by 'swivel30. In operation the handle 26 isrotated to a position i above stop 32 to close the doors. With handle 26 resting upon;

stop 32, the locking bracket assembly 28 falls into place by gravity and, as shown, blocks rotational movement of the handle.

The particular structure of the keeper and latch shown in a the preferred embodiment latch 34 is welded to rod 18.. Each T168. 2 through! constitutes the novelty in this inventionQln 30.

latch includes a shaft 38, collar 40 and 3 protuberances 42, 46 r and 48. Shaft 38 serves substantially as an extension of the rod. Collar 40 circumscribes the shaft 38 and serves two purposes: (I) it serves as an area for welding when the latch is.

welded to rod 18, and (2) following assembly to door 14 it serves as a bearing for a housing which may be clamped therearound for suspending the rod in place. For convenience, housings are not shown in the drawing but they may be incorporated with brackets 19 a and 21 and surround collars 40. Housings of this general type are conventional structure an form no part of the novelty of this invention. 1

Asseen in FIG. 3, projection or protuberance 42 exten fr'om the shaft 38 in a lateral direction substantially at right angles to the axis of the shaft and the rod. The protuberance 42 tapers to a smaller cross-sectional area in a direction outward As best seen in FIG. 8, a groove- 70 extends the vertical height of keeper 36 and is broken only by a ridge or shoulder 72. For strength and interchangeability of parts, ridge 72 bisects: groove 70. Shoulder 72 tapers to a larger width in a direction away from the pocket (to the right in FIG. 8) and tapers to a smaller width toward the rear, that is, away from forward surface 53. 7 z r The groove 70 defines a segment of a cylindrical surface with an axis substantially coextensive with the axis of shaft 38 and tube, 18. This'provides for adequateclearance for protuberances 46 and 48 as they are being rotated into position astride ridge 72 by handle 26.

The coaction of the tapers of shoulders 46 and 48 and ridge 72 serve an important function. When the door 14 is substantially pushed closed, the widest part of recess 50 will receive ridge 72. The tapered shoulders '46-and 48 straddle ridge 72. Then when rod 18 and shaft 38 are rotated, the interaction of bead 44and the interior surface of wall 66 will force shoulders 46 and 48 toward ridge .72 and the first engaging sloped surfaces will cam the latch and catch up or down into position for locking. As a direct result of thiscamming action, the door 14 will be lifted or pushed downward, as needed, to seat the door 'in the door frame. The overall result is a door arrangement which is easier to close than anything of this type in the prior art. a

In operation, the doors are substantially closed, first door 12, then door 14. Then the latch'34 engages keeper 36 and handle 26 is. rotated to its locked position as shown in FIG. 1. As the handle 26 and rod 18 are rotated, head 44 will contact the interior surface of rear wall 66 and will be wedged toward the center of the pocket by sloping walls 60 and 62. The contact of bead 44 and the interior surface of wall 66 will be the fulcrum point for the lever, defined as handle 26. This contact of the bead 44 with the interior surface of wall 66 will cause the flanges 46'and 48 to cam forward, toward the trailer body, straddling ridge 72 and thereby firmly lock in place. The concavity 68 and bead 44 cooperate to lock the apparatus against lateral movement. The shoulders 46 and 48 and ridge 72 comfrom the axis of the shaft until it terminates in an enlarged bead or locking portion 44 as best seen in FIG. 6. Bead 44 has a novel locking function as will be explained subsequently.

Substantially annular flange portions or shoulders 46 and 48 extend radially outwardly from shaft 38, also at substantially rightangles to the axis of rod 18. Each of the flange portions up": to a smaller width outward from the axis of shaft 38. This provides a recess 50 between shoulders 46 and 48 of increasing width in a direction outward from said axis, as best seen in FIG. 3. The reasons for the diverging slopes of the facing surfaces of the shoulders will be subsequently explained.

bine to lock the apparatus against vertical movement. The result is a more effective locking of the apparatus for preventing any sort of vibration, thereby reducing the noise and wear ordinarily caused by vibrations of this sort and reducing movement of the door relative to the door frame.

The design of keeper 36 includes an opening 74 through. surface '53 into pocket 58. This opening is what permits the relatively inexpensive forging process to operate. The walls defining the pocket 58 may be formed into shape through opening 74. Without opening 74 it 'is probable that a cast keeper would be required.

It might appear from the drawings that opening 74 could cause problems of wear between bead 44 and the supporting The keeper or catch 36 includes a base plate 52 which may be bolted to the rear face of the structure 10 surrounding the doorsorto the door frame itself. The front face 53 of the base plate will be juxtaposed in face to face engagement with the rear face of the structure 10. Bolt holes 54 and 56 are provided at the edges of the base plate.

A pocket 58 is fonned on the side of the catch nearest the first door closed. Upperwall 60, lower wall 62, end wall 64 and rear wall. merge to form the pocket. Rear wall 66 is the portion of the'keeper farthest from the rear of the trailer. As best seenin FlGS. 6 and 7, the widest part of pocket 58 is at the mouth or opening 67 and substantiallyat the deepest part of the pockets concavity 68 is formed by the interior surface of rear wall 66. Theinternalsurface of the pocket thus defines an interrupted surface. The bead 44 on latch 34 locks into the a concavity 68, is retained by the interrupted surface and lateral displacement of the latch.

rod and other apparatus is effectively prevented. f

keeper and latch elements are required is the strain placed on the elements when the doors are forced into place by the lever action of handle 26. I

Theparticulardesign of the catchis an improvement over the prior art in shielding from mud and ice. The only opening in the pocket exposed to the element is the mouth 67 where projection 42 is customarily disposed.-: Additional modifications will suggest themselves to those having ordinary skill in the art. Changes such as those are contemplated by the principles of this invention so that although for ease of description the principles of the invention have been set forth in connection with a single embodiment, it is not intended that the illustrated embodiment or the terminolo-' gy employed in describing it is to be limiting.

l claim:

1. A door fastening apparatus comprising in combination, a rod adapted to be attached to a door with the rod axis extending vertically, means for rotating said rod, latch means including a locking portion rigidly connected to said rod, and keeper means adapted to be attached to a structure adjacent a door opening and for engaging said locking portion to fasten the door in closed position, the improvement comprising a groove in said keeper extending the height thereof parallel to said axis and being broken by a ridge extending perpendicular to said axis completely across said groove, a pocket formed integral with said keeper for holding the locking portion of said latch, said pocket being formed by a top wall, a bottom wall, an end wall and a rear wall, said top and bottom walls converging in a rearward direction away from said structure and said end wall being set at an angle such that the top, bottom and end walls in combination serve to wedge said locking portion of said latch into a smaller cross-sectional area in a rearward direction the inner surface of said rear wall forming a concavity to accommodate said locking portion, and said ridge tapering to a smaller width in directions both toward said pocket and rearwardly away from said structure.

2. The door fastening apparatus of claim 1 wherein said latch includes three protuberances and a shaft, each protuberance projecting laterally from said shaft, the first protuberance tapering to a smaller cross-sectional area away from said axis and terminating in an enlarged bead locking portion, the other two protuberances each tapering to a smaller width away from said axis and together forming a recess of increasing width away from said axis.

3. The door fastening apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface of the groove defines a segment of a cylindrical surface having an axis substantially coextensive with the axis of said rod. 

